MULTI-MODAL TRAVELERS DISCOVER TRANSPORTATION CHOICES
by Jasper Thelin
How many times did you get in and Out of your car today? Were
you stuck in traffic? In a hurry? Stressed out? Most importantly
could you have gotten there another way?
From the Spring Equinox (3/21) until May Day (5/1), GO GERONIMO
members and enthusiastic Lagunitas District middle school students
participated in the second spring incentive program. This year
there was not only an easy way of earning a compact disc from
Bedrock Music, but also major prizes were awarded for those who
recorded the most pollution saving miles in five different modes
of transportation: Walking, Biking, Skating, Busing and Carpooling.
This year the number of people participating mushroomed. Dozens
cashed in Tally Cards for CD certificates, after logging at least
25 pollution saving miles. (See page 5 for the list of winners.)
Congratulations to everyone who tracked their miles, as well as
everyone who thinks about transportation alternatives and reducing
air pollution all year long.
1999 Modal Winners
CARPOOLING and OVERALL mileage SAVER:
TOPPING THE CHarts as the overall pollution saving miles leader,
as well as the carpooling mode, Rachel Philips, 30, of Forest
Knolls, discovered that recording her miles made her "feel
proud of not driving alone. I hung a clipboard by the door and
it became a good discipline to record my trips regularly. The
ridesharing gets yo more in touch with the landscape instead of
just whizzing by."
Carpooling let her be "more bold about hooking up with people
to go see the orchestra or poetry readings or something,"
and that saving money was also a motivating factor.
Philips said there_s a chance that the program even benefitted the people who didn_t take the time to record their miles, because "it might have started them thinking about the concept" of ridesharing and reducing pollution, even if they did miss out on prizes, such as dinner for four at Cafe Amsterdam and movie for four at the Fairfax Theatre, Philips will be enjoying.
WALKING:
"Woooeeee! I won! Yeeaahhh! Uh Huh! I won the shoes! I won
the shoes!" she screamed out her car window while giving
a Reg ride in San Geronimo. Mia Terziev, 26 from Forest Knolls,
had just been informed of her modal lead in the walking category.
Terziev is enthusiastic about all the GO GERONIMO modes, explaining "it_s just more fun to _Gojo_ to get places - you don_t have to drive a car!" Walking is her favorite, though, because she can get exercise, and because going slower lets her see the beauty in the hills and trees on the sides of the road.
Oh yeah, and she gets a free pair of shoes from Maloca. "Woooeeee!"
BUSING:
Aleta Harris, a 12th grader from Lagunitas, is someone who makes
the local bus system work for her by making sure she gets to the
stops on time for her trips to Drake High and elsewhere. As the
bus modal winner she_ll receive a magazine subscription of her
choice so she can have some quality reading while she saves single
occupancy vehicle trips.
"It_s circular: in order for there to be better bus service,
they need more riders. But people don_t want to ride the bus unless
there are more of them. Just the other day I took the bus and
it was twenty minutes late. It happened to be no big deal for
me, but for people who really need to get somewhere on time, it
needs to be ore reliable."
Other alternative modes of transportation besides busing are also
important, she says, and saving the world will take "anything
you can to make a more sensible way of doing things." She_ll
be trying her best.
SKATING:
Zack Brennan, a 7th grader from Forest Knolls, used to have a
skateboard when he was little, but somehow strayed from the path
and forgot how fun it was, allowing his board to slip off into
the universe.
Then, like a Jedi returning to the Light side, he started to
want a board really bad. Once he got one, he "got better
and better and it got easier and easier."
In leading the skate mode and winning the gift certificate to
the Marin Skate Shop, Brennan is, as Yoda would say, "really
happy because they have a lot of really cool stuff."
Peering into the future, he said the future of skating looks bright because "lots of kids are getting into it; it_s a good way to hang with your friends while doing something really active; it_s an easy way to get around; and we_ll save the world through skating instead of using cars as much when we_re older."
BIKING:
When Colin Jordan, a 6th grader from Woodacre, heard about GO
GERONIMO_s Frequent Rider Miles opportunity to earn rewards, he
figured just participating would be good enough for him. "All
I wanted was a CD," he said. But in the course of the recent
incentives program, he ended up using his bike enough to lead
the way in biking miles.
Some of his friends didn_t bother to keep track of their pollution-saving
miles, but because he thought "heck, I might as well fill
out the form," Jordan gets a CD and free bike repairs by
Brent Harris, which is "pretty cool because my bike is in
desperate need of a tuneup."
TOTAL MILES SAVED
1. Rachel Philips
2. Peter Oppenheimer
3. Aleta Harris
4. Ali Smart
CD Winners
Nathaniel Anderson
Antonio Bock
Natasha Bohm
Zack Brennan
Daley Cort
Dave Cort
Jacqui Dahme
Chester Densmore
Tommy Gorlin
Kai Gulisano
Erik Gunnarson
Aleta Harris
Brent Harris
Oren Harris
Lily Hendlin
Debbie Hubsmith
Colin Jordan
Demian Keller
Elliot Kelly
Avery Kindler
Misha Lebell
Hannah Lichenstein
Jamai Lowell
Eli Mendez
Sam Mendez
Maranda Nowell
Megan Noqueiro
Peter Oppenheimer
Eve Orcutt
Matt Orcutt
Sophie Orcutt
Anny Owen
Rachel Philips
Dean Poppe
Jered Poppe
Marisa Ruth
Ed Shoup
Ali Smart
Buck Swift
Mia Terziev
Ace Thelin
Jasper Thelin
VALLEY YOUNGSTERS LEAD THE WAY
By far the majority of people who responded to our Frequent Rider
Miles incentive program were kids. We are very proud of these
youngsters who not only walked, biked, rollerbladed, skateboarded,
bussed, and carpooled during the past six weeks, but who also
took the time to document their "pollution cutting miles."
These children are our teachers, our models, and our future. We
decided to check in with some of them to discover what they are
doing and thinking with regard to environmentally sound ways of
getting around.
The questions we asked all five of the following 6th and 7th grade students at the Lagunitas School District were:
1. What are you doing with regard to transportation to reduce air pollution?
2. What else could you be doing?
3. What advice do you have for parents or other adults on how they could reduce their usage of fossil fuels?
Antonio Bock - Third Place in Skateboard Miles.
1. I do a lot of stuff on my own. I ride my bike from San Geronimo to Woodacre and even to Fairfax. I don_t ask my parents to drive me when I can ride. It makes me feel independent.
2. What I_m doing is fine. I started becoming more independent at the beginning of this school year.
3. Don_t drive your kids short distances. Let them walk, run, or ride their bike instead.
Hannah Lichtenstein - One of the first to hand in her completed Mileage Tally Sheet.
1. I_ve been walking to school since first grade.
2. I could carpool more like when I want to go shopping.
3. Ride the bus more. Ride your bike. Or walk if you can.
Oren Harris - Second Place in Walking Miles, Second Place in Bus Miles, and Number Five in Overall Pollution Miles Saved.
1. I ride the bus to school and back almost everyday. Also I walk to and from the bus stop. I ride my bike places.
2. I could carpool more. For example, if I_m going to a party, I could call up another friend who is going, and we could arrange to ride together.
3. This is serious. The environmental problem is not a hoax. If you know someone else who works where you do, you could carpool together even if you have to meet somewhere part way. If you don_t live a million miles away, you could bike to work. And don_t drive your kid to school and back everyday.
Ali Smart - Fourth Place in Carpool Miles and Fourth Place in Overall Pollution Miles Saved.
1. For the past two years I have carpooled on the way to school with Avery, Taylor, and Jake. Instead of three cars, we only need to drive one. I take the bus home in the afternoon. My dad and I sometimes kayak as a mode of transportation. For example, we_ll kayak to visit friends who live on the other side of Tomales Bay.
2. I live in San Rafael, and I could try to ride my bike or rollerblade to the Northgate Mall.
3. First people need to realize that this is important. Everyone contributes to the problem. People need to realize that and do what they can. Get a bus schedule, and use buses more. Carpool. Encourage your kids to take public transit, bike or roller-blade. Tell your kid, "If you ride your bike everywhere, I_ll get you a new bike!" After a time the bike will actually pay for itself in gas purchases saved. That_s what my mom did for me, and it_s worked.
Deane Poppe - Third Place in Carpool Miles.
1. I ride my bike a lot, and I carpool with my friends who are on the same sports teams as me. Instead of four cars, we ride in one.
2. I suppose I could walk or bike instead of having my mom drive me to the store.
3. If you_re going to the mall, take transit. If you live close to work, then walk or bike there. If I had a kid, I_d tell _em to ride their bike more.
NEW VIDEO SETS FILM WORLD ON ITS EAR
Reviewed by Peter Oppenheimer
A big thumbs up to Al Baylacq and Debbie Hubsmith for summoning
up the vision and energy to give final form to . . . drum roll
. . . "GO GERONIMO, The Video." I laughed (Jasper Thelin
community interviews); I cried (poor Anny Owen stuck in the downpour
with a broken down car); I danced (to the original sound track
performed by the GO GERONIMO travelers).
With a script that links local initiatives with global concerns, the video is informative as well as entertaining. Especially impressive is the cinematography laced with montages of the Marin countryside, wildlife, and traffic. A special bonus for San Geronimo Valley community members is the thrill of recognition of friends, family and neighbors, both kids and adults, seen in interviews, set pieces, and cameos.
The video was made to serve as an educational and promotional tool to:
1. Introduce and teach the fundamentals of why and how to use
the GO GERONIMO Ride Registry;
2. Help other communities begin to replicate or adapt our program
to serve their own needs, and;
3. To provide funding sources with an historical and practical
introduction to GO GERONIMO.
From the feedback of those who have already viewed the video, a forth goal could have been the edification and amusement of anyone with 15 minutes to check out a local production.
Copies can be checked out for free from Video West in Forest Knolls or the public library in San Geronimo. Videos are also available for purchase from GO GERONIMO for $12 (including shipping and handling).
"If you see only one video this year . . . you_ll have a lot more time for other things." - The Wheel
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE RIDES
by Brent Harris
Are you feeling a bit sluggish from a long winter spent indoors?
Are you still in hibernation mode; emerging from bed at noon on
weekend mornings? Have you been spending too many of your waking
hours foraging? Are you grumpy and growly and generally bearish?
Summer is upon us! It_s time to comb the tangles out of your winter
coat and come frolic in the sunshine on a GO GERONIMO Know Your
Neighborhood Bike Ride.
We explore the Valley_s quiet roads and celebrate the good fresh
air. We ride ten-speeds and one-speeds, mountain bikes and kids_
bikes. We_re young, old, and everything in between. Don_t be intimidated
if you have a twenty-one speed bike but a one-speed body. We tailor
the ride to the riders. Join us on the last Sunday of every month.
We meet at the Cultural Center at 1 PM.
A TRIP NOT TAKEN
by Peter Oppenheimer
I used to take such pride in being part of the generation that
thrust "environmentalism" as a high priority onto the
table of public debate in the United States. For years, "Recycle!"
has been our cry. When I grew up in the Fifties, there was no
systematic recycling of glass, cans, plastic, motor oil, etc.,
etc. All was grist for the landfills (and consequently underground
water tables). My pride has been tempered to learn that recycling
has become the third best option in dealing with so-called waste.
The latest rallying cry for the environment is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." These three are given in the order of their effectiveness. The best thing you can do vis a vis waste is reduce the amount you are personally responsible for. What you can_t reduce, then at least reuse whatever unwanted byproducts result from your use. Reusing a container, for example, is more environmentally friendly than recycling that same container. Recycling requires energy inputs like fossil fuels to transport the materials, and more fuel is burned in processing recycled material. Even most kind of fecal matter (the epitome of "waste") can be reused to the great benefit of other forms of life, such as us. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
When the GO GERONIMO Steering Wheel Committee devised the Frequent Rider Miles incentive program, it was to reduce the obscene amount of toxic waste we create in the process of moving around. We decided to push busing, carpooling, biking, skating, and walking as means by which to reduce the waste of single occupancy automobile trips (or even just one parent/one child). Clearly biking or skateboarding are more fuel-efficient than cars and buses. And walking is still more self-reliant.
But in singling out these modes of transportation, we neglected to acknowledge and reward the single most effective way to reduce the toxic waste of burning fossil fuels. That_s "simply not to run around so much." Of course, if you_re literally running, you_re not creating much waste. But as for the rest of us, it can be helpful to cool down and rest a little more content right where we are. I used to think nothing of driving over the hill just to see a movie or to do a single errand. Now I try to restrain myself a little and realize that I can live quite well, by staying at home or in my community more. Errands can pile up for a few days and be done in a single marathon multi-stop spree. I_m even seeing a bit less of my friends who live in San Rafael or San Francisco, but perhaps both my sanity and my air quality is better off for it. So, "Just Say No" to some of your urges to get up and drive. You may find that what you seek, what you ultimately need, is right in your own backyard. Maybe we_ll see more of one another and have more time to attend to what matters most.
It_s not going to happen overnight, and please don_t accuse me of gross hypocrisy when you see me at Red Hill Shopping Center or the Regency Theater. This has got to be a long term process. Together we can get there step by self-powered step.
People who have been using GO GERONIMO_s programs are also
inventing a language of their own
Past Tense
I go geronimoed
I went geronimo
I used go geronimo
I got geronimo
I redged a ride
I skedged a ride
I got a go geronimo ride
Present Tense
I_m going geronimo
I_m redging a ride
I_m skedging a ride
I_m go geronimoing
I_m catching go geronimo
To go geronimo
To gojo
Future Tense
Let_s redge a ride.
Let_s skedge a ride
Let_s GO GERONIMO!
GO GERONIMO HISTORY AND PROGRAMS
GO GERONIMO is an innovative grassroots approach to a community
solving its own transportation needs using the generosity, trust
and good will of community members as its primary resource. The
program is an outgrowth of the San Geronimo Valley Healthy Start
Collaborative, a state funded initiative that addresses the needs
of children and families in the Lagunitas School District. Surveys
conducted during the 1996 Healthy Start planning process determined
"Better Transportation Options" as the number one need,
among children and adults alike. In the fall of 1996 we formed
an ad hoc committee to begin addressing the Valley_s transportation
needs. This committee has grown into what is now GO GERONIMO.
We are working on four program areas:
THE RIDE REGISTRY, "THE REG." Registered members
can get safe and convenient rides without prearrangement simply
by waiting at designated GO GERONIMO stops on Sir Francis Drake
Boulevard. Registered drivers can pick up riders while making
their normal trips. Both drivers and riders have photo ID laminates,
and all adults must pass a background check by the Marin County
Sheriff_s Department.
THE RIDESHARING SCHEDULE, "THE SKEDGE." Regular ongoing
and one-time only rides may be arranged through consulting a bulletin
board centrally located outside the San Geronimo Valley Cultural
Center. Those seeking or posting rides may also call the Healthy
Start office at 488-8888, where a ridesharing database is being
maintained and updated. Soon "The Skedge" will be on-line,
enabling travelers to easily update rides offered and rides needed.
The address will be www.gogeronimo.org.
BICYCLE ADVOCACY. GO GERONIMO facilitates community bike rides
(on the last Sunday of every month at 1 PM), plans bike repair
classes, and helps to restore, maintain and advocate for bike
trails in the San Geronimo Valley. We have conducted bicycle education
programs for students at the Lagunitas School District, installed
bike racks in key community locations, and served as a lead agency
in successfully advocating to get bike racks on all Golden Gate
Transit buses.
THE FUN BUS. Our recent survey confirmed that community members
would like GO GERONIMO to manage a shuttle bus. The acquisition
of such a vehicle has been one of our goals since GO GERONIMO_s
inception in 1996. With only one Golden Gate Transit bus leaving
the Valley at 7 AM each day, a community-run shuttle service makes
sense. We_re now exploring grant programs, hoping to make this
dream a reality. We_d like the Fun Bus to be a clean-air vehicle
if possible.
FUN BUS NEEDED
The Valley-wide mandate for a community shuttle bus is still alive.
Despite the cost and problems associated with acquiring one, GO
GERONIMO and other organizations are continuing to figure out
how to fulfill such a real and reasonable need.
Community Alliance, which is also affiliated with Healthy Start
and runs extracurricular programs for Lagunitas School District
students, has recently joined the chorus calling for a small bus
to be available for field trips and other uses.
Such a vehicle could be used for teen center field trips, Children_s
Circle holiday trips, and be available for other community organizations.
An Interview with Al Baylacq
by Anny Owen
Al Baylacq, of Woodacre, just completed the GO GERONIMO docu-video
as lead cameraman and editor. We catch up with Al in the perfect
place. There he is, across from the Cultural Center, I.D. laminate
in hand, walking over to the GO GERONIMO stop. He is about to
catch a ride into Food Villa, where he works. He will be able
to catch a ride home directly in front of his store where there
is a GO GERONIMO sign hanging from the Food Villa store sign .
. .
GG: I don_t want to keep you from getting a ride.
AB: Don_t worry - once I hold up the sign, it_ll be the first
car by that picks me up.
GG: What do you think about the program?
AB: A lot of familiar faces is how it really works. It plays towards
the idea of a small community . . . we can help each other out.
It_s the ultimate community program: people who need and people
who_ve got. It_s an opportunity for us to come together. I was
finding that I was making two to three trips over the hill a day
because both of my kids get out of school at different times.
Picking them up was driving me crazy. Then a combination of things
happened. We lost a car and gas prices went up fifty cents a gallon.
It made me look at GO GERONIMO and really get a sense of how the
program works and get a feel for it first hand. I wanted to see
if there were drawbacks or not.
GG: And how does the program work for you?
AB: It is incredibly easy to get a ride. For me it_s two things:
knowing a lot of faces through my work and knowing a lot of faces
through my kids. But even those I did not recognize, including
women who would not normally pick up a guy on the side of the
road, showed me that to some degree the program seems safe to
people. And that_s the big hurdle. If women can feel safe picking
up a man, then it_s working. The message is out there that it_s
a pretty safe program.
GG: How do you fee about future success for GO GERONIMO?
AB: Program recognition is key. I think people in the Valley need
to see it being used. If you stand there with your sign any time
of day it_s very likely you_re going to get a ride. My marketing
background tells me that the program will continue to prosper
with more and more participation and therefore recognition.
GG: How often do you use it?
AB: I_ve been using it for about a month, five days a week. That_s
over thirty rides. I_ve gotten rides where non-Valley people slowed
down to see if my sign said Inverness, or Fairfax, and I explain
the program to them. There is yet to be a ride where I_ve gotten
a negative or pessimistic response or view. I don_t want the driver
to feel, "God, should I be driving?" It_s not like we_re
gonna immediately change people_s habits and ways that are in
them already. After age twenty-five they_re set in their routines.
This is a car culture and it_s going to be difficult to change
those habits and minds. What I_m doing is helping the program
be recognized with use. Once a week I have to leave work at noon
and get back to the Valley to co-op in my son_s classroom. It
takes maybe ten minutes more both ways. I have to think about
it. I have to make an effort.
GG: Do you think others will catch on?
AB: I see that there is a core group of people committed to the
long-term solution to getting us out of S.U.V._s (Sport Utility
Vehicles). We_re doubling and tripling up. Ten year-old kids in
this community will have opportunities that I didn_t have in high-school.
Those are the habits that we as a community can change - those
habits of getting around. Thirty, forty and fifty year olds can
help promote and pick up registered riders.
GG: So you feel optimistic about it?
AB: Things take time to catch on. Ten years ago, there was practically
no recycling. Now, we all recycle; it_s such an easy thing to
do. If you_re over at someone_s house it_s almost second nature
to ask "where is your recycling bin?" Years ago we never
would have thought this would be possible. Recycling is just an
example; it_s not the end to all of our environmental problems.
It_s hard to change people_s driving habits, much more difficult
than adding a couple of cans to a recycling bucket. But ten years
from now, it could be automatic to get out of our own cars and
take GO GERONIMO on a regular basis. We need to raise the consciousness
level of the adults and give the next generation a choice. Even
if people aren_t going to change themselves they can help out
. . . so get registered!
GG: Have you used it with your kids?
AB: My five year-old held out the sign and when a car actually
pulled over he was ecstatic. The loneliness or strandedness that
comes of waiting on the side of the road was interrupted by the
joy of someone offering a ride.
GG: Tell me about another ride.
AB: I_m leaving the store to take GO GERONIMO out to the Valley
and I get a ride before I_m even out of the parking lot. As we
get close to where I park my truck at the Woodacre turn-off I
realize that I forgot to bring red bell peppers to Spirit Rock.
So, instead of getting in my truck and going back to Food Villa
I decided to GO GERONIMO again. I instantly get a ride back. The
driver wasn_t registered so I explained the program to her, and
that I_d just finished a video about GO GERONIMO. She said, "You
make videos?!" It turns out that she_s a massage therapist
and would be interested in doing a trade, because she_d been looking
for a videographer. GO GERONIMO can be a really valuable experience
in odd ways. It_s different than hitchhiking. GO GERONIMO is an
instant topic of conversation. It_s a connection.
GG: Anything else Al?
AB: One thing surprised me about the program - another community-building
element to it. Just meeting people - people I hadn_t seen in a
long time. An old friend picked me up and it gave me a chance
to catch up. You get energy from a simple ride. It_s really one
of those ultimate community building opportunities. It_s a great
way for people to be involved with other people.At eleven o_clock
last night I see a girl hitching. I recognized her. I asked her
if she knew about GO GERONIMO. I gave her a ride all the way to
Lagunitas. It turns out that she lives in my old house! I know
her mom. I asked how she was doing, how her mom was doing. We
laughed - great time. She might has well have been using GO GERONIMO.